


Cross Culture Crash

by litra



Category: Star Wars Legends: Outbound Flight - Timothy Zahn, Star Wars Legends: Thrawn Trilogy - Timothy Zahn
Genre: Alien Culture, Blanket Permission, Chiss Ascendancy (Star Wars), Chiss Politics, Crash Landing, Eli in the Ascendancy, Exploration, Meet the Family, People are not dead, Podfic Welcome, Tattoos, culture clash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-03-27
Packaged: 2019-12-25 12:29:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18261320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/litra/pseuds/litra
Summary: Eli is sent to explore the Redoubt as a mission for the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force. No one expected him to find the wreckage of Outbound Flight.





	Cross Culture Crash

stepped into Admiral Ar'alani's office, and stood at attention waiting for her acknowledgement. For all that the Chiss ascendancy was vastly different from both the empire and its predecessor, the republic, there were some things that lined up almost exactly. The politics may have been different, with people fighting for their house rather than their system, but no one liked getting unreasonable orders from above. When those orders were essentially babysitting someone else's pet project the resentment grew tenfold. Being said pet project wasn't all that fun either.

So far admiral Aliani had put up with him and his crew. She was brisk and professional. She didn't try to sabotage any of the tasks they had been assigned, but she didn't go out of her way to explain herself or offer them extra support. She never gave him tasks that required ingenuity or anything but bare competence. In short, she was doing the Chiss equivalent of freezing him out. Luckily none of his crew seemed to realize it. 

Thrawn had had a hand in choosing everyone under Eli's command. They all had reasons for leaving the Empire from spesies persecution, to the kind of ingenuity that got the average soldier court martialed. Moreover, each of them had managed to catch Thrawn's eye, which was more than enough for Eli, even if others would consider it meddling. 

Still, none of his crew had spent half as much time around Thrawn as Eli had. Only he knew more than the basics of the Chiss language, or culture. Even though they had spent the last three months in Chiss space they'd been relatively isolated from the rest of the expansionary defence force.

Ar'alani finally looked up at him. Eli didn't shift from the slightly uncomfortable Chiss solute he was holding. Another thing that hadn't changed: the only way to get through the disparaging opinions was to be twice as perfect as anyone else. Eli still wasn't sure how Thrawn had managed. Three months and he'd been ready to tear his hair out more than once.

"I have your next assignment," She said, waving the solute away. 

Eli settled into a parade rest and nodded, "Yes sir."

"The exploration of the Redoubt has been progressing  _Ch'a teciv's til,"_ She pulled up the relative reports and Eli took the extra second to work through the translation; 'A snail's pace' or maybe closer to 'sap in winter', in either case the meaning was clear.

She passed him the datapad and went on. "You and your crew are being assigned to explore the star cluster and map any possible routes within it. There are a limited number of safe entrances to the cluster and the Expansionary Defence Fleet controls all of them."

That you know of, Eli didn't say. Instead he nodded his understanding.

Ar'alani once more ignored him, "Therefore you should not encounter any outside forces. You will of course have to be prepared for any threats native to the Redoubt. Communication is expected to be spotty given the gravity waves within the star cluster, but you are to report as often as is feasible."

When it was clear that she had finished, Eli turned his hand palm up. It was one of the Chiss non-verbals Thrawn had taught him; meaning he had a question, like raising a hand for most of the empire. Ar'alani nodded for him to speak.

"How long is the expedition to be?"

"Vzah racimn'i" 

There wasn't an exact correlation between the Chiss calendar and the empire calendar that his crew was still using, but a quick bit of math gave Eli a timeline of five weeks. Either Ar'alani was starting to trust him, she was testing him, or she wanted him and his crew out of sight for one reason or another.

"We will depart as soon as we have loaded the necessary supplies."

She nodded. He soluted again, and he officially dismissed him.

It wasn't as simple as that of course. The reports she'd given him contained quite a bit of information on the Redoubt but highlighted even more areas where information was lacking. The assignment wasn't just to map possible hyperlanes, but to plot out any habitable planets or moons, or sources of mineral resources. That kind of survey would normally take at least a month, and that was after knowing the basics about the system in question. The way the report was worded he had no way of knowing what Ar'alani or her superior's priority was. If this was a test it was one where he was being set up to fail.

Eli didn't let the frustration he was feeling onto his face until he was safely back on his ship. Then he let out a slow breath and called his second. Knexem Vent was a Nautolan who was unparalleled in multi-dimensional combat his skin was on the blue end of the spectrum for his species making his holo-image almost the right color. 

"Captain?"

"We have a new mission Commander Vent. Please send supply officer Nuto to my office and inform all crew that we will be launching at the end of the cycle."

"Yes sir. Anything else I should pass along?" Another officer would reprimand Vent for the question, the prying. It was part of why the Nautolan was here. Thrawn wouldn't have. 

Eli considered. "It looks to be a longer deployment, several weeks."

The holo saluted and shut off. His crew would get the full briefing before launch, and in the meantime rumar would spread like it did on any ship. His heads up would give them time to settle any matters they had here on base without the last minute rush, or that was the hope at least. He'd encouraged his people to befriend the Chiss but that came out in different ways. It turned out gambling was universal.

With that out of the way he headed for his office, letting the task at hand fill his mind. Lists of supplies and equipment they would need, emergency measures that would need to be put in place, maps he would need to become familiar with. 

Senior supply officer Nuto met him at his office door, and they got down to work.

The five week deployment was productive. It was challenging in a lot of good ways. His crew knew their jobs and relocating to unstable star clusters or mapping planetary orbits was the kind of task that kept people on their toes while not introducing any overt hostility. It was also good to to away from the suspicion the Chiss represented.

Eli sent off data bursts once a day and managed to get an actual holo to go through about once a week, reporting their progress and current location.

It was exactly a month since the start of their mission when the spanner fell into the works.

They came out of their short hyperjump into a close orbit of the local binary system. There was an asteroid belt a bit farther out that they had managed to skirt past along with three outer planets that might provide viable moons or mining fields. Eli had mentally marked those as a lower priority given the binary planets they were headed towards now. 

The slightly larger planet showed the white of clouds and snow with greener patches towards the equator. The smaller was a green-brown that suggested at least an algae level of development if not something more complex. The twin planets had a single moon that looped around them both in a wide elliptical orbit. Together they were one of only ten planets that could be turned into colony worlds, which Eli suspected was a high priority to the ascendancy.

"Probes ready. And the pilots are reporting all systems green." Lieutenant Hi'eer, reported from the communications station.

"Acknowledged, bring us into orbit," Eli ordered. His people did their jobs, calculating an orbit that would avoid the moon.

A full survey of the system should take just under eight hours. The shuttles would head to the outer planets with a fighter escort, launching probes, while he and the crew of the Horizon did a more in depth survey of JX-1 and 2. He factored in ten hours to be safe. By then the computers should have a course plotted to their next system. 

 "Umm, Captain, I think you should see this." Lieutenant Hi'eer's voice broke over the words. He took the initiative and put what he was looking at up on the big screen. 

It was... For a moment Eli had to blink and re-analize what he was looking at. There was a long canyon or crack in the planet's surface. If he had been looking at a survey map or even a moon he would have said something had used the canyon as a runway, but the scale was off. They were still in too high of an orbit. The size of a craft would have to be astronomical to use that kind of feature as a landing pad. They shouldn't be able to see it from this distance...

"Magnification." Eli meant it as a question. It was possible Lieutenant Hi'eer had spotted something and the scale wasn't what he had assumed. Except Hi'eer took it as an order. He selected the crash site and enlarged it. There were two ovoid shapes running parallel to a central column, with more seemingly buried in the earth. The details were still fuzzy but at a guess the whole construct had to be 600 meters long at least, with a trail of destruction cast out behind it. 

All the officers on the bridge had gone silent in shock or anticipation. Eli didn't know if they were putting together the same implications he was. Would Thrawn have been wondering about potential survivors or how long the ship had been there or where it had come from?

They were waiting for his order now. Watching him. waiting to follow his lead. Thrawn would have known what to do. Even when he didn't know what to do, he always acted like it. Eli clasped his hands behind his back so no one would see them shaking. Thrawn was always impossible to read, but Eli had always been terrible at hiding his emotions. Instead he focused on controlling them. 

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them a moment later it was as their captain.

"Have the shuttles hold for new orders." His voice was calm and in control without being too loud. His crew started moving, but he barely noticed, trying to remember how many probes they had ready to deploy and how many they could have ready in short order.  Each of the shuttles had eight but that wouldn't be enough. "Have the probes from TY-x3 refitted and recharged. Records, cross reference all the Chiss files for missing ships, possible incursions, this star system and other anomalies. Take us into a low orbit over the crash site, full shields and ready for battlestations."

A chorus of "yes sir's" came after each order. 

Some of it wouldn't be necessary. Probably a lot of it wouldn't be necessary. The planet was in the habitable range, but that had very little bearing on if anyone had survived the crash. 

He didn't have high hopes that the Chis files would turn up anything. The closer they got the less it looked like a Chiss design. Form always followed function in Chiss designs, leading to spaceships that the republic would have called inelegant. This design could have been some older chiss model that Eli didn't know about, but the curved snouts were eerily familiar to some of the antiques Thrawn had collected.

"Sir I'm picking up a low bandwidth signal. It looks to be looping." 

Eli redirected his attention to Senior communications officer Varic. "Why didn't we pick it up before?" The question was out before Eli had a chance to filter it. He hadn't meant to seem like he was reprimanding his crew. It just would have been nice to know earlier. Still, too late now. Better to hold firm then to look like he didn't know what he was doing. Looking like you were in control was half the battle at times.

"It's on an older frequency sir, and they're using an encryption I've never seen. I don't think the signal's too strong either, probably can't reach farther than the belt. My guess is that it's some kind of failsafe distress beacon."

Eli nodded, "See if you can get it decrypted, and let me know if you figure out how old it is." 

"Engineering reports the probes are ready sir, and where should they be loaded?" Ensign Ullta asked. 

Eli considered the need for secrecy, then dismissed it. He trusted his crew and there hadn't been any sign of an offensive force.

"Have them loaded onto shuttle three, four and five. Shuttle one and two will have to cover the outer system on their own. Tell them to skim it if they have to, but keep an eye out for any other forces in the area. I'm not ruling out a trap until we have all the information. Shuttle six will be on standby while the others take a closer look."

Ensign Ullta acknowledged the orders and ran off to report them to the appropriate parties. Around Eli other officers were falling catching up. At one station a pair of junior lieutenants were rescanning the system. There were three officers around the communications console and Eli saw them run the message through Sy Bisti, Cheunh, and Huttise translation circuits without his prompting. 

"Sir we are in geosynchronous orbit over the crash site," Lieutenant Hi'eer reported. 

The view of the crash site was much clearer at this altitude. He could see that the metal had weathered, tarnishing in places and collapsing in others. The canyon had settled in around the obstruction. The walls eroding where the ship or possibly seasonal rains, put pressure on them. Plants had started to grow in the shelter provided, or possibly were being grown. The more eli looked the more signs he saw. There were pillars of rock that might have been bridges between the ship and the land, and small patchworks that might have been structures, built on the sides of the ship and the canyon wall.

His eyes caught on a flaked symbol, that had once been painted on the side of the ship. Part of it had been worn away, and it was at the wrong angle, but the pattern was there. He'd seen it too many times when reviewing items for Thrawn.

"Officer Varic, try a Jedi description."

The "Yes Captain," practically echoed in the sudden silence. The seconds ticked by, the tension only growing until Varic reported "That did it sir. Should I play the message?"

"Please do."

All eyes went up to the main screen. The message was only audio, but the computer automatically ran the words at the bottom of the image. It almost made the crash seem like a news article, something distant and all the more real at the same time.

"This is Jedi Lorana Jinzler of Galactic Republic Ship Outbound Flight. We were attacked by the Vagaari and forced into an emergency landing. We have nearly 60 survivors. Our coordinates are 6113-001142 by H920-233583 by SEC9-599724." There was a crackle but the audio didn't shut off, then a new voice came on speaking in Cheunh, "This is Mitth'ras'safis of the Eighth Ruling Family of the Chiss Ascendancy, While negotiating with the Republic ship outbound flight, the Expantinary Defence Fleet was attacked. I assisted in an emergency landing and offered the survivors refugee status under Ascenancy Law Rit-Ner-Van-Auth. Our coordinates are Jul'reeth'yurn - Kleern'kol'tor'ix - set'yan'to  - JX-1" There was a pause, and the message started to repeat. 

Eli looked around. More than a few of his crew were still trying to puzzle out the Cheunh language. Others were muttering about he Jedi. Eli made a mental note of those who had let the message distract them, and those who were just struggling with the language. The latter could be excused. 

The message started repeating for a third time. Varic had the Cheunh language run through a translator by that point. Eli wondered if anyone else realized the significance of the name. The Eighth ruling family was powerful, yes, but it was more than that.

Mitth'ras'safis...

Was it a fluke? If the message was openly using Jedi encryptions and claiming Republic membership then it had to be at least two decades old, probably closer to three. The timeline fit. Eli swallowed down a rush of emotion and forced the information into little organized boxes. The problem was, there wasn't nearly enough of it. He had to get down to the planet. He had to be sure.

"Open a communication channel," Eli said and everyone snapped back to their jobs.

"Yes sir. You're broadcasting now."

"This is the Empire ship Horizon. I am Captain Eli Vanto. We are emissaries to the Chiss Ascendancy working with the Expansionary Defence Fleet. We have received your distress beacon Outbound Flight, please respond." He waited, practically holding his breath, along with the rest of his crew. After a full minute had passed he signaled to Varic "I want that message repeated every five minutes, and let me know the moment you get any kind of response."

"Yes Sir."

"Sir?" Ensign Ullta had returned. "Shuttles one and two are standing by for launch authorization."

Eli nodded, "At their discretion. Ensign Mill'ico?"

The records officer had been typing furiously the whole time. now she looked up. "I've found four references to Outbound flight so far, all in the Chiss files. Should I send them to your datapad?"

"Please do."

He stepped away from the command station, silently signaling that the bridge crew could relax and he didn't think there would be an attack. Outside the two shuttles zoomed past on their way away from the planet. Eli would need to make a decision about the other shuttles before too much longer,l but the choice of who would go down to the planet depended heavily on who, if anyone answered his call. 

The references in the Chiss files were a mix. The first and Largest was actually written by Thrawn, and Eli couldn't help but smile. At the time Thrawn had been a commander in the Chiss Expansionary Defence Fleet. He had run across Outbound Flight and ordered them to retreat, then in the middle of negotiations, they had been attacked by the mysterious race of slavers known as the Vagaari. There were references to another trading ship and a number of battle droids. Eli marked those files so he could read through them later. Something about the Trade Federation? Outbound Flight had apparently been hit by a series of radiation bombs. There was some valed politics in the report, but the short version was that Outbound Flight had gone gone into hyperspace and effectively vanished.

The other files Ensign Mill'ico had found were much less helpful. One was a heavily redacted copy of Thrawn's dismissal from the CEDF. The timing was right for that to have been the start of his exile. There was a mention in the DIA report for Mitth'ras'safis. The last was just a link back to the original report in a file about the Vaggaari. He added that file to his list to read through later. 

Eli glanced back at the main screen, no reply yet, but they were staring to get readings about the atmosphere and other planetary statistics. It looked to be on the colder end of average for the human norm, with the standard amount of plant growth. They weren't tracking any large herd animals, which could have meant that the planet hadn't gotten to that evolutionary stage yet, or that they weren't looking in the right areas.

Eli turned to the hovering Ensign Ullta. "Let Shuttles Three and four know that once they have the extra probes loaded I want them to do a fly-by of the crash site and surrounding area. Only a fly-by. I want to see what reaction it gets." 

"Yes sir." She dashed for the hanger. 

"I want the shuttle view up on screen." Eli said stepping back to the command station. A moment later Lieutenant Hi'eer had trisected the viewscreen with the two shuttles viewpoints in central windows while the Horizon's viewpoint hovered large behind them. An icon in the corner indicated that his message was still being repeated.

The two shuttles started high in a standard follow pattern. They did a wide circle mapping most of the surrounding terrain, then came in low, maybe two hundred feet over the crash. They weren't trying to hide. The pilot's had picked up on his unspoken command to draw out a response if there was going to be one. This close there were definite signs of habitation. Flags or clotheslines waved in the wind. Gardens were marked out in clear rows. There were water cisterns with piping stretching along the outside of the ship in a way no spacecraft would ever have. 

No one attacked, but as the shuttles made a third pass in a close perimeter they started to see movement. Humanoids were climbing out of the ship or leaning out of caves. Some ran along under the shuttles waving and probably calling out. 

Eli had seen other settlements act the same way in the outer rim. Those colonies saw ships once or twice a year and it had always been a big deal when his family had stopped in to trade. If these people hadn't seen another ship in twenty years then their reaction must have been magnified.

The shuttles looped into a higher circle, still visible from the ground but pulling back. Eli waited. It only took another nine minutes before his call was answered.

"Captain we have an incoming hale from the planet. Looks like a holo, but an old one it will take me a few minutes to translate the file types," Varic reported.

"How soon for audio only?"

"A minute, maybe less"

"Let's start with that than."

"Yes sir." Varic stabbed at his keyboard, and the command console lit up.

"Horison? Captain Vanto? Are you there? This is Chas Uliar of Outbound Flight, do you read me?"

"I hear you Mr. Uliar. This is Captain Vanto. We are working on some technology conversion to get the holos going. But first, is this the best language for you?" Eli focused on sounding calm and in control even though his heart had started racing again.

"What, basic? Sure. What else would we use?"

Eli nodded even though the transmission was still only audio. "To business than. Is there anyone on planet that requires immediate help, medical or otherwise?" He put aside the questions he really wanted to ask. Lives came first.

Uliar hummed, "No not really. I mean please don't take that as an invitation to leave, but we've been here for a while. We'd kind of made our peace with it."

"I understand, in that case I and a few members of my crew will need to meet with whoever is in charge to decide on the next course of action. Do you have some kind of official governing body?" Eli kept his voice casual even though his words were clipped. Uliar hadn't mentioned a rank, which made sense in a community made up of colonists that had been isolated for twenty years. The relationships would have evolved organically. There wasn't any need for that kind of structure. Still the fact that he was the one Eli was talking to had to mean something. 

Uliar hummed again, "No, not really. There weren't enough of us to survive to make it an issue. We've got a kind of council that makes the important decisions. Will that work for you?"

Eli bit back a request for the names of the people on this council. If he was wrong it wouldn't matter and even if he was right it didn't mean Mitth'ras'safis or Jinzler would be members. He'd likely end up with a bunch of names that wouldn't mean anything to him. It wasn't even like he could look them up, given that the Chiss wouldn't have those records.

"Yes, that will do, as long as you can ensure a closed session."

Uliar paused, "As in, confidential?"

"Yes, will that be a problem?" Eli wondered if the tension had crept into his tone or if it was the confidential nature that was setting Uliar off. If he wasn't actually a part of the council...

"Well, I can ask everyone," His voice had turned cautious. "I'm just not sure I understand the reasoning. We're a pretty close community. Secrets don't tend to stay secret for long."

Eli made an effort to soften his tone. "I understand that, and if your council decides to share the information i provide then that is their choice. However, I'd prefer not to start a hoard of rumors."

Uliar seemed to consider that. "Alright. I'll let everyone know. When should we be expecting you?"

"I can have one of my shuttles drop me on the ridge in half an hour, if that would be suitable."

"Fine," Uliar cut the connection.

"Well that was rude," Varic muttered.

Eli added another count to his mental tally. Varic had been muttering about the Jedi too. He was a good hand to have around in a crisis but he was on Eli's ship because he couldn't keep his opinions to himself the rest of the time. The fact that he had purple hair from some non-human ancestor hadn't helped him either.

"For that Varic you can accompany me, and see if you can boost their equipment while we're down there. Ensign Mill'ico you're also with me." Eli turned to the record's officer. "Prepare a remote uplink terminal. I'm going to need access to the ships logs in this meeting."

"Yes sir." They both answered, one more optimistically then the other.

"Commander Vent, you have the ship. Keep an eye out for trouble, but remember we still need to get those surveys done."

The Nautolan nodded and stepped up to the command console, mirroring Eli's posture with his hands behind his back.

Eli picked up a guard as they headed for the shuttles, so it was six people including their pilot who landed on planted half an hour later.

The planet was colder than shipboard, as the scans had warned, and the wind chill pushed the temperature down even further, but the suns were bright and the sky was clear. The landing site was at the edge of a rocky field that dropped off into the canyon where Outbound Flight waited. There was wiest high grass and scrub trees breaking up the horizon with some kind of mountain or plateau in the distance. All in all the victims of the crash could have ended up in worse locations.

Eli turned and surveyed what remained of Outbound Flight. It had started out life as six dreadnought class heavy cruisers attached to a central cilindar. Only two of the original Dreadnoughts remained intact, and he was using the term lightly. One of the ships had embedded into the far wall of the canyon, and three had turned to scrap either during the crash or under the weight of the rest of the craft when it settled. Even so, it was still impressive. 300 Meters long and at least half that wide. Given the size of the windows that had been carved into the side of the craft, it had to have been designed to carry tens of thousands of sentiants.

The Jedi had said there were sixty survivors.

The crash alone couldn't have killed that many people could it? Well, whatever had happened, Eli would have his answers soon enough.

A group met them a few hours later. Three humans, one in his fifties or sixties, who climbed the stairs carved into the cliff with the help of a cane, the other two in their twenties. The two younger ambassadors waited for their elder to introduce himself first.

"You're Captain Vanto?"

Eli stepped forward, his security detail ready. "Captain Eli Vanto. It's a pleasure to meet you." He offered his hand. The old man looked at it sceptically, then shook.

"I'm Chas Uliar. We spoke earlier."

Eli nodded, "Of course. Let me introduce my crew. This is Senior communications officer Varic, and Records officer Ensign Mill'ico. Our pilot, Trass SuLaac, and Troupers Green and Arbour." He hadn't actually known the trouper's names before they head headed for the planet, but referring to them simply as his security would give a certain impression and he didn't want to upset or offend anyone if he could help it. There would be enough surprises during the meeting.

Uliar, looked over the group then nodded. "This is Rosemari Pressor Tabory and her brother Jorad Pressor. Their father is on the council you wanted to meet. He's getting things ready."

She stepped forward and offered her hand with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope you don't mind it's a bit of a walk down to the ship, but we've got refreshments waiting at the bottom." She turned and waved a hand.

"Not a problem at all, lead on."

The colonists had carved a stairway into the side of the cliff, going down about a hundred feet. before it met a bridge across to the ship. Rosemari went first, pointing out features they'd built and waving to curious children. Eli was next. He nodded and smiled politely, trying to take note of everything. Their pilot had elected to remain with the ship, so it was the two other officers and the two troupers who went next with Jorad and Uliar bringing up the rear. Eli wasn't sorry that Uliar seemed to be stepping back. He had the distinct feeling the old man didn't like him. He wasn't sure if it was some dislike of authority or just a distrust of outsiders.

The interior of the ship had clearly been modified to accommodate planetside living. With the grav-drives no longer working the floor should have been tilted, but boards and carpets had been laid down, and the slopes of the walls adjusted accordingly, at least in the more well used areas. Occasionally they passed a smaller passage that went off at an angle. Eli couldn't help but wonder what Thraen would have made of the place. A whole city built off axis and how that would change the viewpoint of those growing up here. 

The conference room they finally arrived at had a central table and a number of overstuffed chairs. Four people stood when they arrived. The first was about Uliar's age, balding, and clean shaven, wearing the same worn but clean clothing as the rest of the people Eli had seen. He stepped forward offering his hand.

"Dillian Pressor. I must say it was a pleasant surprise to see your ships and get your message."

"Captain Eli Vanto. A surprise for us as well. We weren't expecting to find any inhabited planets let alone lost colony ships."

Pressor nodded. "Let me introduce everyone. Chas Uliar you already know. This is Lorana Jinzler--" He gestured to a human woman in her late forties who wore a brown robe over sensible clothes. "This is Alma Yuresh--" He gestured at a Falleen, and the reptilian humanoid tipped her head the color of her frills turning a soft blue-green in welcome. "And this is Mitth'ras'safis, or Thrass of the Chiss Ascendancy. He was on board when we crashed and well, you're the first contact we've had with them since." He gestured towards the Chiss in question. He had the same red eyes and blue skin of all his race, but Eli noted the same straight nose and the shape of his mouth as his brother.

"A pleasure to meet all of you." Eli reintroduced his own companions, then stepped forward to put his hand on the back of one of the chairs. "Should we beguin?"

The group as a whole stepped forward towards various chairs, but Thrass held up a hand. "Before we begin. Chas reported that you asked for this to be a closed meeting. May I ask why?"

It was a calm question, the kind of offhand tone that Thrawn used when gathering information. Eli had no doubt that Thrass would pick apart his answer and remember every word.

"You've been out of touch for a long time. The politics that led me and my crew to be here are, complex. I anticipate some extreme reactions to some of my information." Eli met Thrass's eyes, not trying to challenge the man, but very much holding his own. 

Thrass considered him, then slowly tipped his head, acquiescence, if not agreement. Uliar huffed and dropped into a chair. Alma waved at an old protocol droid to close the door and start pouring drinks. Eli was one of the last to sit, gesturing at Ensign Mill'ico to set up a link to the Horizon's network.

"Let me start by saying that While my ship and crew are acting in partnership to the Chiss Ascendancy and the EDF we are technically members of the Galactic Empire. We will offer you any and all help we can but once you've heard what I have to say you may choose do decline that help. If so, we will depart peacefully, but no matter the choice made here your presence will be reported to the EDF."

Eli watched a subtle wave of surprise and hesitation go around the table. His own people were keeping their opinions to themselves, even Varic, thank the heavens. They all knew what was coming...

Jinzler closed her eyes, then nodded slowly. "I sense no hostility. I am willing to listen to what you have to say." She turned to her companions,  and one by one they agreed.

"Mill'ico?"

She slid a holo-projector into the center of the table, "Connection established. Whenever you're ready sir."

Eli looked around and considered his words. "The Galactic empire is the civilization that rose out of the ashes of the Clone Wars. Which was an internal conflict between the Galactic Republic and a faction of planets known as the separatists. The Clone War lasted four years and engulfed nearly all of the mid and outer rim. Even worlds not directly fought over were influenced by the changes in industry and the shifts in trade." Uliar started to speak but Eli held up a hand and charged on before he could be interrupted. "The war ended when then Chancellor Palpatine discovered and thwarted a plot by the Jedi to take over the republic. Within the Separatist leaders were a number of Former Jedi who were killed in the final battle."

Jinzler had gone white. She brought up a hand to cover her mouth, closing her eyes. Alma hissed in shock or anger. Pressor was mutely shaking his head. Uliar was on his feet leaning on the table as he shouted his face going red. Surprisingly he wasn't shoulting at Eli.

"I told you. We were lucky the other Jedi were killed. If they'd survived we'd all be their slaves by now. Letting her live-- Letting her teach our children-- you're inviting history to repeat itself. Now we can't go home even if we wanted to, thanks to them."

"Oh shut up Chas, we don't even know if what he's saying is the truth," Pressor snapped, "You want to be sour about what one man did, fine, but Lorana's done nothing but help us. We wouldn't be here at all if not for--"

"No we'd be with the ascendancy if not for her and her pet alien playing politics," Uliar snarled.  

Thrass stood, speaking in a low and even tone that still managed to cut through the yelling. "I have warned you before not to insult me or my house. If you do not shut up this second I will call you to trial."

Uliar met his eyes, and the air hummed with tension for a minute before Uliar slumped back into his seat, muttering to himself. 

Thrass turned to Eli, "Captain, these are enormous claims, I assume you have some kind of proof?"

Eli nodded, but Mill'ico stepped in before he could speak, "The Empire day celebration sir?"

"Yes that should do it." Eli agreed.

Mill'ico's hands flew over her data-pad and a moment later a holo sprang to life on the table. It was the emperor's speech given in front of the senate dome. Several noted people stood with him on the primary podium, including his right hand, Lord Vader. Below him the crowds erupted into cheers whenever he paused for breath. He was speaking about their victory over adversity and the chaos the Senate and the Jedi had pet fester, until it turned into war, and how bright the future was for the empire. 

Eli wondered if any of the colonists recognised the absence in the skyline where the Jedi temple had once been.

Jinzler still had a hand over her mouth, and behind it she was taking slow measured breaths. Thrass had his eyes narrowed, leaning forward. The others watched in stunned silence, horror mixing with shock and disbelief on their faces.

The speech was almost half an hour long, but Eli had Mill'ico pause it after five. "Out here we don't have access to the full Empire databases, so the information we have about Outbound flight is limited to what the Ascendancy was able to gather, but there was mention of several Jedi on the ship. You also Identified yourself as a Jedi on the distress message, Lady Jinzler. You can see how that will be a problem."

All eyes turned to the Jedi. Uliar was sneering, and on Eli's side of the table Varic was making no effort to hide his disgust.

Jinzler made a veisual effort to compose herself before she met Eli's eyes. "I believe it is lucky then, that we are not in Empire space. Thras tells me that the Ascendancy have no equivalent to the jedi, and no laws or stigmas against people with my abilities."

Uliar snorted. Varic looked in his direction then spoke, "That's a technicality.  We still work for the empire."

Eli kept his smile internal. Varic might have been trouble on the ship but having someone around to play devil's advocate was darn useful, and it meant that Eli wouldn't be seen as the rabble rouser. Eli wondered if the connection between Varic and Uliar could be fostered. Uliar didn't seem to be liked by the rest of the council, but he was still here, and that meant that others would likely have the same opinions.

"Officer Varic, I understand your scepticism, but please reserve your judgment. I left Coruscant long before this Clone War you mentioned. I had no part in whatever when on, and have since renounced many teachings of the Jedi. Even if there was a temple for me to return to, I would not be welcomed." Her voice was steady even if there was a brittle edge to it. 

Thrass put his hand over hers on the table. "I would not recommend you persecute any member of this community." He met Eli's gaze, his red eyes seemingly peering into his soul. Eli didn't flinch, he'd been faced with a similar gaze too often. "Who are you assigned to within the EDF?"

"Admiral Ar'alani." Eli considered his options, and decided to play the card he'd been holding back. "But my personal allegiance is to the Eighth house."

There was some confusion, from both sides of the table. Everyone on Eli's crew knew Thrawn but few of them knew of the more intimate relationship between him and Eli. An equally small number knew enough about Chiss society to know that Thrawn had been born a commoner, but had been adopted into the eighth ruling family several years before his exile.

"How would a human come to be a part of one of the Chiss Ruling families?" Thrass said in a distant voice.

In answer Eli reached for his left sleeve. He unclipped his cuff and rolled up the fabric. The tattoo was only a few months old, fully healed but with the colors still bright. The blue and red ink picked out a multi-diamond pattern just below his elbow, where he could hide or reveal it as he chose. It was only the third time he'd shown it off, the first to Ar'alani, and the second to a senior member of the Eighth ruling house.

Thrass caught his breath, going absolutely still. Eli couldn't spare the attention to see how his own crew was reacting. It was clear none of the other colonists understood the gesture, but they were secondary at the moment. He needed that last bit of confirmation. The whole mission could go sideways and have them all fleeing for the hills or flying away with their tails between their legs if Thrass only answered the way Eli hoped he would.

"Thrass?" Alma asked politely after the silence had stretched.

The Chiss seemed to come back to himself. "Tell me Captain Eli Vanto. How is it you know my brother? And why would he give you his sign?"

Eli let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. When Thrawn had told him of the custom of Tattoos he hadn't really gotten it, but he was more than grateful he'd gone along now. Every Chiss in a position of authority had a mark that combined their name, their house, and their birth clan. It was a carefully mathematical symbol as unique as a fingerprint, but far more recognisable. From what Eli understood they weren't always used as a marriage marks. It was a mark of respect and loyalty. To wear another person's park meant they would always stand behind you and you had a responsibility to uphold that honor. The fact that Thawn had proposed in the same conversation was just coincidence.

"I met Mitth'raw'nuruodo eight and a half years ago by the Empire callander. He said he had been exiled from the Chiss Ascendancy for the crime of preemptively attacking a threat from the outer reaches. He terrorized the crew I was a part of until he managed to slip aboard our ship. At the time he only spoke limited basic. I was called upon for my knowledge of several outer rim trade languages. I became his translator, then later his assistant. I served beside him for eight years in the Imperial Navy, before he gave me this and sent me here." Eli kept his voice soft through the monologue, not hiding but not boasting as he'd seen more then one over-eager flunky do back in the Empire. When Thrass didn't immediately answer Eli added, "Thrawn said he that even though he'd been adopted into the Eighth family, he didn't have anyone to go back to because his brother was dead."

At that Thrass finally let his head fall forward, closing his blistering red eyes. "That fool, no matter what I tried to do, I couldn't stop him from getting himself into trouble." He lifted his head, giving Eli a more considering look, and spoke in Cheunh "It is an honor to meet the chosen of my brother. May our paths continue forward side by side."

Eli nodded. He wasn't sure if it was a ritual or not and even though he had more exposure then most of his crew, or indeed most humans, he hardly knew everything. He chose to answer in basic, rather than risk insult in Cheunh. "The honor is mine. I hope I can bring news of your survival to Thrawn before too much longer."

"Care to fill the rest of us in?" Pressor asked good naturedly. He was leaning back in his chair one arm propping up his chin, as his eyes flitted back and forth. 

Before Eli could find a diplomatic way to explain the tattoo, Mill'ico squeaked. "Ah, oh I'm so sorry." She said quickly when the group focused on her. "I just..."

Eli caught a glimpse of a tattoo design on her datapad. Of course she'd looked it up. He waved a hand for her to share the information. It wasn't like it would stay secret after this anyway. Eli focused on rolling up his sleeve as the rest of the table read the brief.

"I, wasn't aware you were married... sir..." Varic finally said. At least he'd managed to stay civil even if his voice was rather choked.

"It does not always indicate a marriage..." Thrass said slowly. He didn't make it a question but he was eyeing Eli again.

"Not always, but in this case it does." This wasn't really how he'd pictured revealing his wedded status, or meeting his brother-in-law for that matter but Thrawn had always made his life interesting.

It was Alma who eventually broke the awkward silence. "As surprising as all these revelations have been, they seem rather distant compared to the immediate concerns. You know about us, and we now know about you. I for one am still willing to accept you aid if it means contact with the outside world. At this point The Ascendancy and the Empire would both be foreign to us so it does not matter which you turn us over to."

"Of course it matters--" Uliar started. 

Pressor looked like he was ready to get into it with him, and the others seemed ready to take sides. Except for Jinzler. She took a breath and laid her hands flat on the table, then breathed out slowly. Eli felt calm and contentment settle over him like a weighted blanket. One by one the council settled back from where they had started to rise, leaving Uliar the last one standing. He was gritting his teeth.

"I did not give you permission to mess with my head," he snarled. Eli noted he was swaying on his feet.He couldn't blame him. Eli had never felt anything like this before. He knew the old stories, sure, but he'd never considered the reputed Jedi magic to be anything more than exaggeration. Now he wasn't so sure.

"I am not in your head. I do not know what you are thinking, though I can guess. And before you come up with some other argument, I will remind you that I would not have resorted to this if you were not about to turn over the table in front of our guests." 

Eli cleared his throat in the following silence. "As it happens we have only limited contact with anyone at this point. Your distress beckon wasn't getting much farther than the edge of the system, given the nature of the Redoubt. Varic is willing to look at your transmitters and see if he can boost your signal for future communications." Beside him Varic nodded. "We're also willing to give you some backup equipment from the Horizon. Our mission was scheduled to end after this stop, so even if we can't establish a solid communication line to the EDF we should be able to have another ship out here within a few weeks."

Eli paused to see gadge the room. Varic was at attention. Most of the council members were nodding along. Uliar still seemed frustrated, but at least he had taken his seat again. Eli noted that the sense of calm had faded, and eyed Jinzler as he went on.

"I think the next step is to get a list of what what you need most; food, medical supplies, and so on. A proper ambassador can accompany the next ship to negotiate settlement rights or relocation."

"Thank you I think that is a good place to start," Jinzler said. "We've been living comfortably on the supplies form Outbound Flight, combined with what we've been growing, but we could use more advanced medical tech, and if the Chiss are willing, a few properly trained doctors wouldn't go amiss. Most of those who survived the crash were technicians. Other then that, generators are our biggest concern."

Eli nodded. "We have a few spare generators on the Horizon we could part with."

"We can make a list of the specifics," Pressor offered, standing. 

Eli stood as well. "Please do, Mill'ico will you assist with that?"

"Yes sir," she said, gathering her equipment. 

Varic took that as his cue as well. He stood and met Uliar's eye. "Want to show me where those relays are?"

With that the meeting began to break up. Eli waited as Alma and Jinzler left the room. When the others had all left, Thrass stepped forward.

"Will you tell me how my brother is fairing?"

Eli relaxed and nodded. "I haven't seen him in a few months, but before that, he'd made it to Admiral in the Galactic Navy. The only non human to make it to that rank." Eli paused remembering the man he had slowly fallen in love with. 

"He's the most incredible person I've ever known."

Thrass nodded and put a hand on his shoulder. It was a very human gesture, but then, Thrass had been living with humans for the last twenty years.

"Perhaps a bit about yourself as well? We could get a drink. The stills are nothing close to the galactic standard but the drinks they produce are potent."

Eli huffed out a laugh, "Yes, I think I'd like that."

There were four more hours before they were expected back on the ship, and even if he couldn't get sloshed he had a feeling Thrass had hundreds of stories he could tell. He'd probably appreciate a few of Eli's own. Being seperated from Thrawn was almost worth it for a chance like this.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> A few things about the timeline, I couldn't find Eli's age so I'm hedging that he was around twenty when the Thrawn book started. It's hinted that it's only a few years after the empire took control so I'm going to say Eli was in his mid teens during the Clone Wars. Again I'm not sure how long a time the book takes place in, it could be as little as four or five years, but for this story I'm going to put it closer to ten. That means that Eli is in his early 30s and the people who survived outbound flight have been living on the planet for about 25 years.  


End file.
